Heavy metal heroes Black Sabbath just want to be loved, according to an eminent group of philosophers studying the Brummie band.

They sing about witches at black masses, of the immaculate deception and of a smiling Satan; their frontman famously bit off a live bat’s head.

But heavy metal heroes Black Sabbath just want to be loved, according to an eminent group of philosophers studying the Brummie band.

What’s more, the Brummies come from religious backgrounds and one of them is – wait for it – a committed VEGAN.

Love and peace are not normally the first words that come to mind when thinking of Black Sabbath. But, far from the cries of destruction and evil, the band’s mission has been to challenge people to live better and be happier, according to the boffins.

Drawing on the works of Plato and Aristotle to debate the heavy metal rockers in a book entitled Black Sabbath and Philosophy: Mastering Reality, they come to the conclusion that Ozzy Osbourne & Co are, in fact, much misunderstood.

“It is ironic that Black Sabbath has a reputation for being satanic and evil when close analysis of their lyrics reveals they are open to the question of God’s existence, sensitive to the poetry of life, and full of compassion for the struggles of humanity,” says philosophy teacher Liz Swan, who got a PhD at the University of North Carolina.

“This insight into the band has historically been overshadowed by their onstage persona. Ever since high school, I’ve been aware that Sabbath is infatuated with evil, conjuring mental images of how bad things can get on earth. So I was surprised to discover the person behind most of the band’s evil-themed lyrics, bassist Geezer Butler, is a confirmed vegan and a self-proclaimed pacifist.

“The band’s lyrics reveal a deep curiosity about why human nature is the way it is, and a deep sensitivity to the philosophy and poetry of real life. Their overall message is that it’s possible to imagine, and thus act to create a better possible reality. They offer hope against the evil in the world, inspiring us to believe in a better reality by forcing us to imagine one.”

The band members came from religious backgrounds. Tony Iommi was raised in a nominally Catholic home, Ozzy Osborne attended Church of England Sunday School and chief lyricist Geezer Butler came from an Irish Catholic family.

Black Sabbath & Philosophy: Mastering Reality by William Irwin

Canadian history professor Brian Froese believes it was this blend of Christian influences, mixed with a fascination with J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy fiction and the occultism of Dennis Wheatley, that led to the band’s apocalyptic lyrics.

“As members of an alienated and impoverished working class who had walked through the rubble of bombed out Birmingham on their way to school and work, Sabbath responded to the liberal 1960s middle-class counter-culture by creating sinister sounds,” he reckons.

“Their scary songs and rebellious postures were ultimately uplifting, though. In their cosmic travelogues, such as Into The Void and Supernaut, the trauma of a fading existence on earth is replaced by the hope of the larger force of love.”

Exploring lyrics most associate with evil in the form of nuclear war (Electric Funeral), drug abuse (Hand Of Doom), oppression (Black Sabbath) and emotional pain (Solitude), the philosophers raise questions about why Sabbath created the sound they did.

And what hidden messages might lie within the words. William Irwin, professor of philosophy at King’s College in Pennsylvania, edited the book and says: “Black Sabbath are The Beatles of heavy metal. They changed everything. More than 40 years later, Sabbath’s music is too aggressive for most people.

“But what makes Sabbath sound evil? Is evil in the ear of the beholder? What personal and cultural conditions led them to create heavy metal? We don’t aim to give the final word in answer to these questions, but we do aim to stir the cauldron a bit.

“They don’t passively plead to give peace a chance to the tune of jangling guitars – they rage in the ‘fight for peace’ to the beat of war drums. Paradoxically, their anti-war lyrics, infused with hope and love, are sung to the tune of pounding, hyper-masculine music.”